Lithuanian-born Izis Bidermanas (real name Israëlis Bidermanas) initially struggled to find a publisher for Paris de rêves, his first book. Finally, Swiss book club la Guilde du Livre in Lausanne published the book in November 1950, as No. 149 in their self-named La Guilde du Livre series, in an edition of 10300 copies. It was available by subscription to book club members only. The book was a prodigious success. It was reprinted numerous times in succession, with a total of around 100000 copies. A separate trade edition was distributed under the publishing name Clairefontaine. An English edition was printed in 1951 under the title Paris Enchanted by Harvill in Great Britain. A hard cover edition with slip case, it had a limited print run of just 500 hand numbered copies.

The image section of both books is identical. Seventy-five Paris street scenes are placed full-bleed on the right page, with a facsimile text by a contemporary writer or poet on the left. Wonderfully printed in deep gravure. The Guilde du Livre edition was issued as a soft cover with dust jacket and glassine jacket. French translations of the English texts by Henry Miller are laid in loose.

Izis Bidermanas’s well-composed, rather romantic, images are a love declaration to his adopted hometown. One of the all-time classic Paris photobooks.

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